The YES Men

Clay

I vaguely recall hearing about this movie on NPR. The Yes Men is a cross between social commentary (i.e. Michael Moore, who provides a cameo in tYM) and prankster sensibility, ala Borat.

Overall, the film is worthwhile, although slow and meandering at parts. tYM is a grassroots documentary about a few guys who have made it their mission to prank the WTO. By disguising themselves as suits from the World Trade Organization, they infiltrate the bohemouth. Its very similar to the Ali G formula of commentary via mockery. It is absolutely hilarious. . . at parts.

The biggest drawback is that the Yes Men don't seem to have enough material to fill a movie, so much of the film ends up being footage of them preparing for their pranks. However, the pranks themselves are hilarious. If you don't have a lot of time, skip ahead to the scenes where they present their stunts.

Overall rating: 4/8 slices, only because a lot of the film feels like filler. An enjoyable film.

TARA

I agree with Clay on most points for this film. Not enough material to leave you feeling satisfied; even the special features leave you feeling incomplete. You can’t help but wonder, are theseguys being sued? What are they doing now? Etc…

Batman Begins

Clay

I was surprised: I liked this one a lot more than I expected to. In spite of the fact that Nerd is my dominant Tao, most comic book movies really gross me out (i.e. Fantastic 4, Spiderman, etc) due to the typically poor acting, wretched dialog, and predictably childish action scenes.

I am not suggesting that Batman Begins lacks any of these things; indeed, the dialog is often sub-cliche (low point: a character witnessing the batmobile rip shit up: "I gotta get me one of those") and Katie Holmes' character is a predictably 'strong, independent femme who nevertheless needs rescuing' sort...but beyond these occasional annoyances, BB does a really good job of rejuvinating a familiar theme via great cinematography, ambiance, and constant movement.

The lead actor (Christian Bale) is a bizarre, plastic fellow who's lack of facial emotions is both appropriate and somewhat annoying IMHO. K. Holmes is hot and competent, enough said. Morgan Freeman is a bit character who seems directly lifted from his role in Shawshank ("They keep me down here..don't think they'll ever let me out!"..sound familiar?), but my favorite character was, by far, The Scarecrow. This lesser-known actor (Cillian Murphy) who plays the insane psychiatrist brings a freakish twist to a 'stock baddie' role, managing to keep his performance fresh thanks to great directorial decisions. For this, the kudos must naturally go to the director, Christopher Nolan [Memento!!], who clearly knows how to use cameras, effects, and props to freshen up what might otherwise have been a really trite action flick.

I'd easily give this one a 6/8 pizza slices. Perfect for anyone who liked the first Batman film but hasn’t really enjoyed them since. Very solid action movie with twists and great effects.

The Weatherman

CLAY

Nicolas Cage...a risky bet these days.

The Weatherman is entertaining, bleakly humorous, and at points, stretches itself into a realm that could be considered almost enjoyable. The movie suffers, however, from an overall sensation of pointlessness and bland tragedy.

I suppose the thing that keeps me from really liking this movie is a vague desire for something redeeming in the main character. The Weatherman is a kind of 'worst day of your life / born loser' sort of plot, but the problem for me, as a viewer, is that I guess I want the lead character to make me root for him. He's a pathetic, hopeless, saddening figure throughout the movie, and even though he seems to learn about life, I still end up falling asleep toward the end of the film, wishing we were getting somewhere, or at least coming to an understanding that his life is irreparable.

Hard to describe this movie in print. I feel as though Cage's performance is 'spotty', sort of frenetic and bizarre..but he's still Nicholas Cage, playing a sort of rewarmed-Adaptation role. I won't tell people NOT to watch this movie, but overall, there are better uses of one's time. Rating: 4/8 pieces of pizza.

Tideland

CLAY

The latest film from Terry Gilliam. If you are NOT a fan of his other films (12 Monkeys, Time Bandits, Brazil, etc), then you will not enjoy Tideland. However, if you are the sort of person who enjoys films that take big risks with narrative and plot, you will be in a good position to enjoy Tideland.

I don't want to spoil the film for those who have not yet seen it. However, it is good if the viewer understands that the storyline attempts to mimic the structure (or lack thereof) of a dream...very much a modern Alice In Wonderland. Overt references to AiW lead me to believe that Gilliam intentionally created a storyline that abandons the need for resolution or 'happy endings'. The vibe of the film is very dark, the subject matter is not for the faint-of-heart, and the 'humor' is black as night.

Jeff Bridges gives an excellent supporting performance in what could be described as a reprisal of his Big Lebowski character. However, the real star of this film is the little girl who plays the leading role. Rarely does one see such mature, unfliching performances as the one given by this 8? year old girl.

Given that I am a huge fan of all things Gilliam, I'm giving this one a 7/8 slice rating. Tara will be sure to observe that I give a lot of high reviews.....I'd simply that I am less inclined to review boring or average movies.

Downfall

CLAY

Tara and I enjoyed this film. Well, Tara enjoyed the beginning, and I enjoyed it all. Tara has no opinion on the end, I dare say, because she was asleep.

Downfall is an award-winning subtitled film about the last days of Hitler in his little Berlin hidey-hole. Of all WWII films, this one is probably the best actor-portrayal of the furher i've ever seen. Its also a really good movie. I mean, its not like you dont know how it ends (maybe he'll escape and have his brain embalmed in a jar?), but it keeps you watching, partly because the film was culled from the personal recollections of his secretary, and its really weird to see how it all 'went down' in the underground bunker. I'd put this one up there with Das Boot and Life is Beautiful in terms of 'great WWII movies', definitely a must-see, even though we've all seen 200 WWII movies within the last 10-15 days.

Returning to the pizzza-slice verification standard: 7/8 slices.

Stranger than Fiction (2006)

CLAY

Tara and I went to see this piece of trash as a part of our ongoing Philadelphia Degi/Uno Movie Review Weekend series. I will happily take the credit for NOT being the one to pick this movie.

When I got the call from another member of the movie club, I used up my veto power on another film, the newest one from Christopher Guest. Yeah yeah yeah his films are funny, save it for someone who agrees. Never understood why his films are so popular. Well made, well directed, but SLOOOOOW, and oftentimes, too smugly dry for me to sit through.

Does it tell you anything that I havent even said anything about Stranger Than Fiction? The reason for this is: It Sucked, capital letters, and I don't mean 'I was kind of bored'. It hurt so bad that I tried to fall asleep after the 1st hour, but felt bad because the others seemed to be enjoying it. It made my balls hurt. It made me feel like I hate Will Farrel.

Don't be fooled: This film is a ROMANTIC COMEDY couched in some half-assed, rip-off 'postmodern' plot. I liked this movie better when it was called "Adaptation" or "The New York Trilogy" (a great book by Paul Auster). Seriously, after one gets over the initial 'shock' of learning that the main character is actually a character IN a book--written by someone else in the movie, we later learn--one thinks to oneself, "Boy, this would have made a great plot. . . for my freshman english fiction writing class!" In a nutshell, the narrative is amaturish, boring, predictable, and sappy. You'll love it if you're a fan of Jennifer Aniston films. The main actors (Will Farell and Maggie Gyllenhaal) are stock types and lack any kind of humor or energy to keep the audience caring whether they solve their individual problems. I give this bullshitter a D-- in my book, and the only reason it isnt an "F" is because I need to have something worse in my arsenal.

TARA

Oh Will Ferrell, you’ve fallen so far.

The first fifteen minutes are absolutely worth your time. I recommend a prolonged visit to the restroom for the rest of the film. I personally would have preferred to be knitting than watching this film.

The strongest aspect of this movie comes early, as Will Ferrell’s character experiences a supernatural narration of his own life. I think any viewer will appreciate the playful visual graphics and directorial antics that break down ‘the fourth wall’ between viewer and the film. Will Ferrell is haunted by a disembodied narration of his every move, which comes off as both humorous and original.

Unfortunately, the fun ends here, as the movie descends into a lame rehash of other plots (see Adaptation, etc) and a nauseating romantic comedy flavor.

Emma Thomson (cast as the author of Ferrell’s life) needs a new agent. I felt bad for her, since her other films (i.e. Wit) have been pretty good. Queen Latifah, on the other hand, delivers a surprisingly decent performance in an otherwise bland subplot.

Extremely disappointed with the Hollywood ending. Puppies and rainbows make me want to vomit. And the whole movie is way too long . . .someone needed to slash-and-burn significant portions of the script.

I give 1/8 pizza slices to this unimaginative production. The “1” is a generous handout in recognition of the first fifteen minutes, which I liked.

THE PLAYER

Clay

I have watched this movie more than 5 times. Tara had never seen it before, so we rented it. I believe this movie is one of the "overlooked fabulous". I suppose that aspects of this film may be too strange for "ma and pa average folk". I dont think that people should be afraid of this movie. I think that this movie is postmodern, although that term is commonly regarded as being empty or problematicly vague. Don't concern yourself with words--the film is good.

The movie's biggest strength is a creepy, mysterious vibe that is best described (to my best knowledge) as indebted to Alfred Hitchcock. I have not done my research on this film, but I think Altman is a director with attitude. I really do recommend this 'sleeper hit' to anyone who likes Po-Mo films. Tara was initially suspicious but she came around. I think she liked it because Woopie was in it.

Rating: 8 out of 8 slices

BABE (1995)

Clay

This is a movie about a Pig. It is not a new film. Tara thought I was stupid for renting it; she didn't know it was going to be TOTAL GREATNESS= AWESOME. Seriously, this movie is propaganda for "dont eat meat". I have heard people say everything is propaganda. Therefore, I will be glad to say I like propaganda that agrees with me.

Babe's biggest strength may be how well it is shot. The closeups and vivid colors create an excellent mix of humor and attractive lighting. You might have heard that this movie is for kids. It is much more inteligent than the average kid movie. Movies like this do not come along every day. When they zoom in on the faces of the human characters, a guffaw may pass your fridgid lips. Let it escape. It will feel very good.

I believe that Jim Henson's studio did portions of the puppet work. If you are missing a section of your brain, then you would not instantly know that this means the film will have quality. It does have quality. It has more quality than you are prepared to handle. It will pull your heartstrings in "just the right places". It will buy your house at a reduced price and leave you feeling like you want to hug the realtor.

Rating: 7 out of 8 slices

TARA

This is not just a children’s movie. I agree with Clay: Babe is a totally innovative, agreeable film. The viewer is quickly drawn into the characters (even though most of them are talking animals), while the film’s surreal colors and visual appeal make it a worthy piece of art. Especially notable is the way the human characters become larger-than-life personalities that dominate the universe of the animals.

I thought the movie seemed to make loose references to the Animal-Farm hierarchy of society, offering insights into the workings of power and societal position. The movie also appeals to the ingrained ‘american’ identity . . .if one struggles hard enough, one can succeed against all odds.

Clay may be somewhat biased in his review since he’s a strict vegetarian (and the movie takes a somewhat anti-carnivore perspective), but I really did enjoy it.

Rating: 6/8 slices. Watch it!

BORAT

Clay

Scooter, Tara, and I made a point to see this film in the theater. 9 days after the premire, the theater was packed. The word is out, Borat is genius. I hate all of these people who think they are "big Ali G" fans. They are not. I am the only one who has ever seen Ali G. I am the only one who was laughing in the theater.

I am lying. Everyone was laughing. Favorite scene/biggest strength: The audience is cleverly manipulated into a sentimental moment regarding the prostitute with a heart of gold. Our expectations cause us to love Borat and this woman of ill repute. I really liked the construction of this scene--the only character who isnt portrayed as a hypocritical a*hole is the one most reviled by a moral society.

The genius of Mr. Cohen reminds me of Andy Kaufmann. I don't know what else to say.

Rating: 8/8 slices